Seattle Mariners and SP Felix Hernandez finally reach a deal

Despite some snags in the recent days, the Seattle Mariners and SP Felix Hernandez have reached a deal on his new contract worth a reported $175 million dollars. The two parties will hold a news conference on Wednesday to announce the deal making Hernandez the highest paid pitcher in Major League Baseball.

As originally reported last week, Hernandez’s deal rolls the last two years of his current contract into what amounts to a five-year extension. Hernandez, 27, has a career record of 98-76 with a 3.22 ERA. He was awarded the AL Cy Young Award in 2010. During his career, Hernandez has allowed two runs or less in 141 or 238 career starts.

Earlier in the week, it was announced that Hernandez would skip this year’s World Baseball Classic while working on his new deal. It was also reported this week that perhaps elbow injury issues could be holding up his new deal. Those issues now appear to be in the past and the Mariners will officially announce the deal later this afternoon.